Dirt-receptacle.



A. H. HAVARD.

DIRT REGEPTAGLE.

I APPLIUATION FILED Amm, 1911.

1,020,349, PaBIlG/d Mal'. 12, 1912.

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WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS" o MBIA PLANMRAPH c0..WA1MlNlrroN. mc.

ALBERT H. HAVARD, OF URBANA, ILLINOIS.

DIRT-RECEPTACLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 12, 1912.

Application filed April 8, 1911. Serial No. 619,785.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT I-I. I'IAVARD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Urbana, in the county of Champaign and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Dirt-Receptacle, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact dessription.

My inventionrelates generally to receptacles for holding dirt and more particularly it involves a peculiar form of receptacle which is especially adapted for use by grave diggers, the form and construction of the parts being such that a device is produced which is of special use to persons engaged in such work.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specication, in which like characters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the views, and in which- Figure 1 is a side View of my device in operative position, adjacent a grave; Fig. 2 is a front end View thereof; Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bottom of the receptacle showing the end of the handle in position for dumping; Fig. l is a detail top plan view of the pivotal supporting and fastening means at the upper end portions of the end gate.

The receptacle proper 1 is preferably made of sheet iron and is of rectangular construction, the capacity thereof being approximately fifty-six cubic feet, which provides ample space for holding the dirt removed from the average grave. The receptacle is pivotally supported at its ends on wheels 2, 3, these wheels being supported on an axle extending beneath the bottom of the receptacle and a little to one side of the center thereof; in order to bring the receptacle close to the ground while it is being filled the central portion of the axle -occupies a lower horizontal plane than the ends thereof, the central portion being thereby dropped with respect to the end portions.

It will be noted that the wheels 2, 3, are eccentrically mounted on the ends 5, 6, of the axle, the distance between the ground and the bearing portions 5, 6, when the receptacle is in the position shown in Fig. 1, being less than the distance between these same points after the wheels have been turned 180. The advantage to be gained from such a relation of the wheels with respect to the receptacle is that when the grave is being dug, the receptacle being placed in the position shown in Fig. 1, the digger has a short space through which to lift the dirt before it is dumped into the receptacle.

A third wheel 8 is provided adjacent the rear end of the receptacle whereby it may be suitably supported when being removed to a position remote from the grave; adjacent each side of the receptacle is a hook 31 for attachment to rods or traces whereby the receptacle may be drawn away after it is filled.

A handle 9 having one end thereof bifurcated and hooked, as at l0, the handle adjacent this end being curved, is provided as a means for engagement with the bearing member 11 carried by the chair or casting which carries the wheel 8 whereby, when it is desired to dump the receptacle, the rear end thereof may be raised by bringing the handle into the position shown in Fig. 1 and lifting the'handle, thereby lowering the end of the receptacle adjacent the grave.

The front end of the receptacle is normally closed by an end gate7 suitably supported at its end portions by means of lugs 12, 13, extending therefrom and resting on pinsll, 15, carried by the end portions of the receptacle, the lugs being held in position on the pins by means of suitable hooks 16, 17, pivotally supported on the sides of the receptacle.

The bottom portion of the end gate is held in normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, by means of latches 18 pivotally supported on the outside of the receptacle and engaging suitable lugs 19, projecting from the sides of the end gate and adjacent the lower portion thereof; these lugs, together with the lugs 12, 18, are preferably formed from an integral piece of material 2O held in position on the end'gatc by any suitable means, such as screws 21. The end gate is adapted for outward movement about the pins 14, 15, by releasing the latches 18 from engagement with the lugs19, these latches then abutting suit-able rests 30 carried on the sides of the receptacle whereby the gate, when it is allowed to swing closed, will engage the outer end portions of the latches 18, lifting them and passing into engagement therewith.

In order to hold t-he receptacle in suitable position while the grave is being dug, I provide rests 30, 30, on which the Wheels 2, 3,

may stand, each of the Wheels being secured by means of blocks 32, 33, suitably secured on each of the rests; one pair of these blocks 33 is held in removable engagement with the rest by means of a lug 34 engaging in a suitable recess in the rest 30. If desired, the upper portion of the rests may be channeled, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the receptacle is held against displacement.

The receptacle is held against movement relatively to the wheels when in position to be filled by means of a chain or other suitable attaching means 35, in engagement with the rest 30, as by a staple 36, the other end of the chain being in engagement with a reversely curved hook 37 carried at each side of the receptacle adjacent the front end thereof.

Vhen it is desired to remove the receptacle away from the grave after it has been dug and the material has been deposited in the receptacle, the chain 35 may be disengaged from the hook 37 the blocks 33, may then be removed and the receptacle may be drawn any suitable distance over planks or rails which form extensions of the rests 30, 30a; the material which was removed from the grave is now remote therefrom and the ground adjacent the opening is kept clear and grass or flowers which may be growing in these places are not injured by the mass of material removed from the grave which is usually thrown in any position. It may be desirable, however, to remove the receptacle, together with the rests, in which case the rests and the receptacle may be drawn over the ground sled fashion. `When it is desired to dump the material into the grave, the receptacle is drawn back into the position adjacent the grave but in this case the receptacle is elevated as much as possible from the ground by bringing the diametrically opposite portions of the wheels into engagement with the rests from that shown in Fig. l; the receptacle being held in position by engagement with the chain 35 and the blocks 33, the end gate 7 may be opened, allowing the material within the receptacle to be deposited in the grave after which the end gate may be closed and the receptacle is again ready for use in any other place.

It is obvious that various changes may be made in the form, shape, and size of my receptacle, and the component parts thereof in order to adapt the device to different uses without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the following claims.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent l. The combination of a receptacle, eccentrically pivoted wheels at opposite sides thereof, rests having blocks thereon, against which the wheels bear, whereby the wheels are held against turning, together with means in engagement with the said rests and one end of the said receptacle, whereby the receptacle is held against tipping.

2. The combination of a receptacle, an axle thereon, said axle being to one side of the center thereof, wheels on the axles, the hubs of the said wheels being eccentric to the center thereof, a plurality of rests on which the wheels bear, and a chain engaging one end of the receptacle and each of the said rests, whereby the receptacle is held in position and against movement.

3. The combination of a suitable receptacle, an axle thereon, the said axle being to one side of the center thereof, wheels at each end of the axle, the point of support of the wheels being eccentric to the center thereof,

a rest on which each of the wheels bears,

blocks carried by each of the rests and engaging the said wheels, together with securing means extending from that end of the receptacle nearest the axle and each of the said rests, for holding the receptacle in position for iilling and against turning on the said axle.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in t-he presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ALBERT H. HAVARD. l/Vitnesses:

PETER P. SGHAEFER, IV. J. DoLAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

